


Connie Swap Episode 2: ...Yet so far

by br42, BurdenKing, MjStudioArts



Series: Connieswap [2]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Art, Fight Scenes, Gen, Momswap, Monster of the Week, Pictures, Slice of Life, Steven Universe AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-03
Updated: 2017-02-23
Packaged: 2018-09-21 17:30:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9559703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/br42/pseuds/br42, https://archiveofourown.org/users/BurdenKing/pseuds/BurdenKing, https://archiveofourown.org/users/MjStudioArts/pseuds/MjStudioArts
Summary: When a menacing Red Eye is about to hit Beach City, Lapis deals with it handily with a tidal wave, clearing up the day for another adventure. The Crystal Gems later go to place the Moon Goddess Statue on top of the ruined Lunar Sea Spire, and Connie tries to prove that she can be useful on a mission.





	1. Something Great

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you read this chapter before November 15th, 2017 then you'll probably notice it now reads quite differently. By the start of Episode 3 our team found a style that we were pretty happy with, and now our editor and co-writer, BR42, is going back and revising these old chapters to match.

Sunset in Beach City was one of the calmest times in the tiny seaside town. If the weather was right, you could see a sky ablaze in gradients of orange, yellow, and pink, all radiating out from the horizon. Combined with the susurrus of ocean waves and the tang of the sea breeze, the result could be downright idyllic.

Lapis, a self-professed connoisseur of sunsets, and Connie, a _Conniesseur_ of quiet contemplation in isolated stretches of sand, sat on the beach a ways away from the bustle and noise of the boardwalk, sharing between them a basket of fries from the fry shop. With Jasper and Peridot away on a mission --something to do with a gem beast-- Connie and Lapis were capping off their indulgent day calmly watching the sky shift shades.

"How would you rank this sunset, Lapis? I'd say at least an eight-point-five," asked Connie before slowly nibbling a single fry to nothing.

Lapis swallowed down the handful she'd gobbled down, moderation not being one of her strong suits, and gave the sky an appraising look. "Hmm, this is a right nice one, I'll grant you that, but I can't go higher than a seven-point-three. The _best_ were back in 1816; it may have been the year without a summer, but it was also the year of amazing sunsets."

Connie nodded, whittling another french fry out of existence. "But were there two suns back in 1816? Because I feel like the second one really adds to the effect."

For the last half-hour it had become clear that a second orb hung in the sky, the setting sun at its back, this new addition not only refusing to set but was, in fact, getting closer.

Lapis wiped her mouth on her arm, smacking her lips in satisfaction. "No, I'll grant you that. It certainly ups the novelty factor. Fine, seven-point-six. Seven-point-seven if you hand me that really crunchy one with all the seasoning caked on."

Connie smiled and handed her the fry. A moment later and her brow furrowed slightly. "Should... should we maybe _do_ something about that? Go find the others or something?" she asked, a bit of worry creeping into her voice despite her relaxed pose.

"Come on, Connie, you know I can swat that thing out of the sky, no problem. Just chill and enjoy your fries before Peridot gets back and gets huffy," answered the svelte gem with a smile between bites. Turning to look at Connie, she added, "Sometimes you just need to sit back and watch. If you're always in a hurry, you might just miss something great."

Lapis patted Connie on the head and then turned back to gaze at the sky.

Connie smiled, settling into her comfy groove in the sand. A cool breeze stirred a few strands of dark hair as it blew in from the sea. "Something great..." she said softly, allowing the minutes to recede into the distance while one sun set and the other grew slowly larger.

The two lounged in companionable silence for a time, eventually the sound of heavy footfalls drawing them out of their reverie. Looking over her shoulder, Connie saw Jasper and Peridot tromping over through the sand.

The warrior's right leg and torso were shellacked with some kind of rust-brown ichor. She seemed completely unconcerned about this. Peridot had a few droplets sprinkled across her form and was meticulously scouring them away, a pair of floating fingers being dedicated to the task.

Connie smiled and waved. Lapis lifted her hand in greeting, not bother to look back at the pair. "Yo. How'd the mission go?" she asked as she tossed a couple more fries in her mouth. "Deh yuh huyz fymd dha hyem?" she added, her mouth still full.

Peridot rounded on the two recumbent in the sand, focusing her scowl on Lapis while her floating fingers plucked rusty flecks from her blonde hair. "Of course we caught the gem. But more importantly, why are neither of you concerned over the massive, malevolent sphere hurtling our way?!" she demanded, pointing to the fast-approaching object.

Connie, stealing a glance at Lapis' complete nonchalance, shrugged, wiping her face clean of fry salt and crumbs. Looking to Peridot she said, "Lapis told me not to worry about it and just... enjoy how pretty it makes the sky look while we could."

Peridot looked to Connie, then Lapis, and then hung her head as a pair of floating fingers drifted up to rub her temples. "You just let the obviously threatening menace be... so you could watch the atmospheric colorations?"

"Yeah," they responded in unison, the only other reaction being a small grin on Lapis' face at Peridot's growl of frustration.

As Peridot's expressions cycled through confusion to disbelief and was rounding on anger, Jasper stepped in front of the technician, her gravelly voice cutting through the silence. "What matters is that it gets dealt with." The warrior made a small gesture toward the orb. "Lapis, if you would."

Lapis looked to Connie, her expression asking the girl if she'd had her fill. After receiving a nod in response, the Blue gem stood, brushing the sand and crumbs from her. "Alright, Connie, here's a little magic trick," she said without looking back. "Keep your eye on the ball and see if you can spot the subtle sleight of hand."

Lapis lifted her hands up like a concert director, watching as miles out to sea a dome of water swelled up, more and more mass gathering into it. The waves on the beach stilled and then the waterline began to recede. The gem thrust a single arm skyward and in the distance a massive column of water shot straight into the air. At the top of the watery pillar, an enormous hand formed, opening up, flexing, and then grabbing hold of the second sun. Engulfed in the titanic might of Lapis' water, the orb was pulled down, down, down, plummeting toward the ocean below.

With a massive crash, the water hand and its captive disappeared into the crushing darkness of the sea. Connie opened her mouth to say something but Lapis silenced her with a gesture, still staring at the point of impact, adding, "Wait for it..." After a few seconds there was a muffled 'whump', a tremor vibrated the ground, and a watery explosion then threw plumes of water half a mile into the air.

Lapis moved her hands in sweeping motions like she was smoothing the wrinkles out of a bedspread. At sea the water calmed and the waves radiating outward from the impact site shrank, then vanished entirely. For a single moment the ocean was smooth as a pane of glass.

"Tadaaa!" exclaimed Lapis, her arms outstretched like a stage performer. "I have made the ball _disappear_ , never to be seen again. I'd teach you the trick, girlie, but a magician never reveals their secrets." She held out her fist to Connie, receiving a smile and a fist bump in return. The gem shot a pleased look at Jasper, the warrior not attempting to hide her air of amusement.

Meanwhile the water level had returned to its normal point, the first waves lapping against the shoreline as the ocean recovered from Lapis' influence.

As Connie and Lapis started the trek back to the Beach House, Peridot held up a limb enhancer and said in a soft voice, "Jasper, I'd like to review something with you." The warrior nodded, all traces of amusement gone.

After the girl and the hydrokinetic had gotten far enough away, Jasper said quietly, "You noticed it too."

The technician nodded, her expression taut, her eyes fixed on the sea. "It was a Red Eye. I've trained with those. They're autonomous so it could be a routine sweep, or..." and she allowed her voice to trail off. Eventually she looked at the large gem and asked, "What should we do?"

Jasper was silent, her gaze roving the sea and sky. The stars had begun to shine through the fading light of day. She let out a sigh then turned to look at the girl with the yellow gemstone who was walking away, talking excitedly with Lapis. "We wait. We hope," she said simply.

Jasper and Peridot stood there a moment longer, watching the darkening sky, staring up at the stars shining overhead like wary sentries peering into the distance for enemy movement.

* * *

Lapis and Connie sat at the kitchen counter, talking lightly while the latter idly drummed her feet against the divider. As though to offset the greasy fries, the pair were snacking on carrot sticks and orange slices.

There was no masking the distinctive, metallic footfalls Peridot made ascending the stairs, nor was the approach of a massive Quartz warrior wearing boots exactly stealthy. At the sound of the door swinging open, Lapis turned to greet the pair but the words died on her lips.

"So, Lazuli, just what _have_ you been instilling in Connie while Jasper and I were away? Better techniques for recumbent reconnaissance, maybe? Or perhaps she's graduated to advanced loafing thanks to your sterling example," groused the Green gem, her words dripping sarcasm.

Connie saw Lapis' eyes roll. "I have hopes she'll learn to tune out those annoying noises we keep hearing. There's a yellow-crested nagging finch in the area that's been following us around lately," she finished, one leg over the other, her arms crossed and her posture combative.

Jasper gently pushed past a sputtering Peridot, walking over toward the rebuilt coffee table and standing at ease, her face carefully neutral. 

Connie looked to the large gem, her expression pleading, and she received a wink, so quick she almost missed it.

Eventually finding her voice, the technician barked, "You know very well that no such fauna exists, and your lethargy could very well have allowed an autonomous agent of Home-"

"Enough you two," said Jasper. Her voice wasn't raised, her tone wasn't harsh, but the command ended the argument as effectively as any shout. She walked over to her customary spot, leaning against the kitchen divider nearest the warp pad. "The problem is solved and we have other things to do," she added, looking directly at Peridot.

The Green gem blinked owlishly for a moment before realization spread. "Oh yes, the Moon is waxing gibbous and will be full a few hours hence," she said, a statement that Jasper and Lapis nodded at and Connie could only cock her head to the side in utter confusion.

"Right," confirmed Jasper. "Where'd you put the statue?"

Connie had tapped Lapis on the shoulder, intent on asking what the heck this was about, when Peridot replied in a condescending tone, "It's right where I left it, of course." She walked over and gestured to the coffee table, revealing... nothing.

Everyone looked at Peridot expectantly. The technician blinked at the others, swiveled around to see the empty coffee table, then gave a little squeak as the color drained out of her face. She flipped the table over, then looked around the living room frantically, her floating fingers fanning out like an angry swarm to lift couch cushions and shove aside the contents of shelves. "It's not on the table! Where is it?!"

Jasper kept her face stern for a few more seconds before a small twitch started at the corner of her lips. This spread like a rockslide across the gem's expression, transforming into a full, barking laugh.

Bewildered, Peridot's head whipped around to see the warrior bring one large hand around from behind her back, a grey statue of a serene woman appearing small in the Quartz' grip. The Orange gem set the statue on the countertop and then doubled over, guffawing. 

Peridot's expression shifted from panic to realization to annoyance.

"You should have seen the look on your face," gasped Jasper between peels of laughter. Lapis wasn't far behind and even Connie had to stifle a chuckle of her own as she watched Peridot march over and swipe the statue from the countertop. A minute passed as Peridot waited, a gravity connector tapping impatiently, while the others had their fun.

Connie glanced at Jasper and gave her a grateful wink before turning to face Peridot, her curiosity very piqued. "Why is the full moon important, ma'am? And what is that statue for? Ooh! Is it some kind of gem weapon? An artifact that controls some great power? A secret prison holding a great and terrible being that can rend reality?!" she said, the words and excitement spilling out of her.

This rekindled Jasper and Lapis' laughter, even Peridot's expression softening in response. Connie was too intrigued to be offended.

Lapis made an effort to settle down. "Nothing like that," she said after her sides had stopped shaking, "but in a way it's much more precious." Sliding off the barstool, she took the statue gently from Peridot, holding it carefully in her grip while she brought it over for Connie to get a closer look at it.

The Blue gem continued, her voice becoming the perfect blend of sincere and excited to really tell a story. "This is the Moon Goddess Statue, a key component to one of the great spires built when gems first came to Earth. The spire extends out of the middle of the sea, and as long as it has stood, the ocean has been pushed back, protecting it from waves and offering one heck of a view. This statue keeps the spire repaired. It's been missing for a long time and the spire's gotten pretty dinged up, but with this returned the spire will be made like new."

Stars appeared in Lapis' eyes as she held the statue aloft, practically vibrating with excitement. Connie found herself swept up in the feeling, awe forming on her expression as she looked rapt upon the small but crucial piece of gem technology.

"It's a paper weight we need to put on the top of the tower," said Jasper as though they were going to be picking up a gallon of milk from the store instead of preserving an ancient structure. The Quartz had the hint of a smirk as Lapis looked scandalized by her casual dismissal. The warrior pushed off from the counter she was leaning against, adding, "Which we need to do tonight or the spire collapses. Hurry up and get ready, gems. We have maybe a couple of hours."

"We have three hours and forty-five minutes, to be exact," Peridot chimed in, a limb enhancer projecting a holographic display of a ticking timer. 

Everyone took this for the dismissal it was and began getting ready. Connie looked excitedly from gem to gem, ready to follow their instructions in getting prepared. 

A beat later, Peridot turned to her. "What do you want for dinner, dear?" she asked, heading into the kitchen, her floating fingers already sailing towards several cabinets.

Connie slid off her barstool, confusion clear on her face. "Huh? You just said there's less than four hours before the spire collapses."

Peridot looked up from the fridge. "Why yes, I did. So naturally I need to be expedient in preparing your dinner, that way you'll have enough to eat while we're gone. Despite the deadline, there is no guarantee we'll be back before your bedtime."

"But I wanna come too, and I know I can be of help! I've had so much training, and besides, remember how helpful I was with the Centipeetle?" Connie said, trying to project confidence to her guardians.

Peridot nodded with a grimace, "I do, and you're only a few microns away from getting grounded for that. You could have been seriously hurt," Peridot said, crossing her arms as she squared off against her precocious ward. "Besides, you still have much to learn before you're ready to go on missions to remote locales and sites of heightened gem activity. Not to mention how much of your syllabus would need to be rearranged if this were to become a regular occurrence."

Lapis let out a loud groan from across the house. Spinning to face the Green gem, she said, "Come on, Peridot. She's never gonna learn if we don't give her the chance. And we both know I'll just kidnap Connie and ignore your dumb schedule anyways... 'cause it's dumb," she added, deadpan.

Before Peridot could register her objection, Lapis flew over, landing beside the girl. "Besides, it'll be a great chance to teach Connie about gem history first-hand. How can you say 'no' to a face like this?" she said, smooshing Connie's cheeks while the girl tried to make puppy dog eyes at her reluctant caregiver.

Peridot stared long and hard at the pair before giving a theatrical sigh. "Okay, fine, Connie can come," she said, then held up a single floating finger. "But tomorrow she needs to write me a report on what she's learned and observed on this outing. And there is to be no tomfoolery."

Connie slipped free of Lapis' grip and pumped her hands, jumping in excitement. "Yes, thank you!" she cried out, before rushing up to her room to prepare for the trip. She grabbed her backpack and looked around, trying to reign in her enthusiasm enough to plan clearly. What would she need to pack that would allow her to help the gems? She had to try twice packing and then repacking things before she was satisfied --and before the backpack was less than overflowing-- but with the last-minute addition of a length of rope, a laser pointer, and a flashlight, she muscled the pack closed and heaved it onto her shoulders.

"Hurry up, squirt. We gotta go," called Jasper from below, the warrior tracking Connie's descent and noting the heft of the girl's pack. She raised a single eyebrow and asked in an amused tone, "Bring enough?"

Connie adjusted the straps on the backpack so that it sat right, her expression a little unsure. "I mean, I guess so. I sort of ran out of room, so I had to leave a lot behind. I just don't know what I don't know, you know?" Before Jasper could respond, the girl finished her adjustments and said, "I should be fine, though. I packed some essentials, along with things I think will be multipurpose enough to help out."

Lapis stifled as snort as she and Peridot stepped onto the warp pad. The Blue gem made a brushing motion with her hand, as though sweeping Connie's concerns aside. "I wouldn't worry too much, Connie. With me on this mission, it'll be a piece of cake. Big tower in the middle of the ocean, remember?" she said, jabbing a blue thumb at herself and smiling widely.

Peridot rolled her eyes behind her visor, then held up her wrist-equivalent and tapped a floating finger against it. "We have a deadline looming. If there are no urgent reasons to the contrary, we should depart."

Connie double timed it onto the warp pad, with Jasper's long strides keeping pace. The girl couldn't hide the smile that dominated her face, her excitement palpable. Jasper ruffled the hybrid's hair, shaking her out of her daydream of adventure and heroism. Connie looked up at Jasper, nodding with determination in her eyes. "I'm ready."

Jasper gave a slight smile and a nod in response. Then, with a final look at all the gems, a bright light engulfed them and they disappeared from the house.


	2. Water Hazards

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you read this chapter before January 17th, 2018 then you'll probably notice it now reads quite differently. By the start of Episode 3 our team found a style that we were pretty happy with, and our editor and co-writer, BR42, went back and revised the old chapters of these first two episodes to match.

In a flash of light and a hum of magical energy, the gems arrived proudly. In contrast, Connie appeared midair and was soon sprawled at everyone's feet, giggling with excitement despite the drop. Peridot helped her up.

Bathed in pale moonlight, surrounded on all sides by never-ending waterfalls, Connie stared through the gathered mist towards the large tower that stood in the very center of an inexplicable hollow in the sea above. Even moss-covered and riddled with water-worn gaps in the masonry, the spire still held the imposing, regal presence she had imagined it would from Lapis’ descriptions.

“Whoa...” was all Connie could say, too stunned for words in the shadow of this once-great gem structure.

The girl started to step forward but was stopped when a heavy orange hand gripped her shoulder. Connie looked up at the warrior then back at the path ahead, trying to see herself what was making Jasper suspicious. "W-what's wrong? Gem monsters?" she asked a moment later, unable to spot the threat.

Jasper opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by an impatient snort and Lapis leaping skyward. "Whatever. See ya at the t-whoa!" The partially-airborne gem looked down at Jasper gripping her left ankle, first with confusion and then with an anger intense enough to make Connie wince.

Jasper weathered Lapis' sudden fury stoically, giving the hydrokinetic a small nod towards the ground and then waiting as the Blue gem touched down lightly.

Lapis drew herself up, arms akimbo and glaring at Jasper. "Well? Wanna explain why you decided to ground me?"

In answer, Jasper stooped, hefted a large rock, and then chucked it toward the spire with an forcefulness at odds with her nonchalant expression. Lapis began to give a cry of startled outrage but stopped short when the projectile's arc abruptly tanked: the stone plummeted into the churning waters swirling around the base of the structure. 

"The vortex is malfunctioning," finished Jasper, simply.

Realization followed by dejected defiance crossed Lapis' face in rapid succession. "I probably could have made it. I've flown over worse," she mumbled, arms crossed and staring out over the edge of the cliff.

Peridot had, while all of this was taking place, been waving an outstretched limb enhancer, data scrolling across her visors and several floating displays. "Unlikely Lapis," she said, closing the holograms and clearing her HUD. "The downward pull of the vortex is an order of magnitude more potent than that of Earth's gravitational force. And, unlike gravity, this is an artificial force-"

"-designed to maintain the stability of the spire and the water-free pocket around us," finished Lapis. "I know how it works, Peridot. In fact, I probably know more about these buildings than you do."

Peridot bridled at the remark but Jasper spoke before she could give her rebuttal. "If you knew how it worked, then you should have known it was too dangerous." She spoke coolly, looking down at the waifish Blue gem.

"Well, I didn't think it was-"

"No, you didn't think, and I stopped what could have been a disaster on a simple mission," said Jasper. Her words were said without malice but they needled Lapis all the same.

Connie had tuned out their bickering, her attention on the spire itself. The building had many openings, several large enough to enter through if the vortex weren't an obstacle. Shrugging off her backpack, Connie pulled out a long, purple ribbon from a pocket and tied her hair up into a tight ponytail. Then she closed her eyes and thought, envisioning and evaluating each item she'd packed in relation to what she'd gleaned from the others.

 _Ya know,_ she thought to herself, _this was kind of like a situation the Daulebaire orphans from_ A Sequence of Inauspicious Happenings _found themselves in at one time. Maybe the same trick would work here?_

The argument behind her continued as Connie opened her eyes and gave a mental shrug. Rummaging through her backpack, she retrieved a length of rope, then cast about until she spied a heavy rock nearby. Using a knot she'd learned from her wilderness survival studies, she tied the rock securely to the end of her rope. She then tied a succession of knots spaced along the length of the line to act as hand- and footholds. All that accomplished, she began to slowly twirl her ad hoc grapple faster and faster.

Noticing the movement, the gems' argument ground to a halt, several sets of eyes turning toward Connie in puzzlement. Jasper stepped into Connie's peripheral vision. "Hey squirt. Now's not the time to play around."

Connie ignored the warrior for another second and then loosed the weight, sending it flying with the rope trailing behind it. She'd aimed nearly four windows above her target, and the decision proved savvy as the rock was pulled down unnaturally. Instead it flew through her chosen opening in the spire, the stone landing with a resounding thud that echoed throughout the structure.

Peridot eyed the improvised grappling hook with reflexive, maternal distrust. "Connie, although this makeshift grapnel demonstrates promising lateral thinking on your part, this is too grave a situation to entrust to such a humble device. A gem-made phenomenon like the vortex is not to be trifled with by a fragile being such as yourself, least of all with such a primitive..."

Peridot's lecture went on, unheeded, as Connie continued her efforts. A couple of tugs confirmed that the rock had wedged itself securely in place. Connie looped the excess rope over one shoulder, retreated a few paces, drew all the slack out of the line and-

"...the eminent threat of asphyxiation due to prolonged submersion in water is yet another- OH MY STARS!"

-made a running leap over the cliff's edge.

Connie plummeted downwards, the rope snapping tight and turning Connie's fall into a swing. Her hands held the rope in a white-knuckle grip just above one knot while her feet used another for support. Hurtling through the air and spray, Connie shot towards a large window located near the base of the spire. A release, a stumble, a couple of tumbles across the moss- and water-slicked floor, and Connie had bled off her excess momentum.

Connie climbed to her feet, exhilaration filling her body, and she thrust her fists into the air. "Yes! Woohoo! Connie: one. Spire: zero!" she shouted, performing a brief victory dance.

A holler from above brought her back to her surroundings. Turning back and looking up, Connie saw Jasper restraining a visibly panicked Peridot, arm-equivalent outstretched with helicopter fingers whirring. Meanwhile, a jubilant Lapis hopped excitedly, cheering and waving down at her.

Briefly torn between Peridot's obvious distress and Lapis' exuberant cheering, Connie paused before smiling up at the gems and taking an exaggerated bow.

Jasper stood as a pillar of calm between one gem's hysterics and the other’s celebration. Her expression stoic, Jasper reached out and pulled a surprised Lapis into a tight hold alongside Peridot. Before either of them could protest, Jasper began to spin rapidly in place, becoming a blur of gold shot through with streaks of blue and green. The usual whirring sounds were augmented with a pair of shrieks: one high-pitched and the other, nasally. Jasper then launched forward, moving fast enough to clear the gulf despite the vortex's pull, and crashing through a solid wall relatively close to where Connie had made her landing.

Connie shielded her face with her arms as she was showered with a spray of dust and debris. Waving her hand to clear away the particles, she was able to make out Jasper straightening up while the other gems staggered dizzily. 

The warrior gave Connie a nod of approval, a hint of pride playing across her features, which Connie returned with a wide smile. 

Peridot sat on the ground, still trying to get her bearings after the involuntary spindashing. Lapis managed to recover sooner, staggering upright and then looking at the damage done to the structure in wide-eyed frustration. "What the heck, Jasper? Was that totally necessary?!" she yelled at the Orange gem. 

Jasper brushing dust off her body unperturbed before shrugging nonchalantly. Lapis pulled a face then stomped around the warrior. "You're just lucky the spire will get fixed when we put that statue in place."

Getting some distance from Jasper and spying Connie, Lapis relaxed a little. The svelte gem approached the girl, her expression softening. She ruffled Connie's hair and grinned. "At least you got in without breaking anything. Great thinking, girlie. And way to be all heroic and daring! You're going to be a natural at this Crystal Gem stuff, and don't let the green scream queen throw you off with her 'probably injury risks' and 'actuarial table analysis,'" said Lapis, imitating a lecturing Peridot by the end.

Connie couldn't help but smile back, brimming with pride and amusement.

Peridot harrumphed as she got her gravity connectors under her. A floating finger had split off from the swarm and was running along her damp and dusty visor like the blade of a squeegee. "Firstly, I was not screaming. I was merely delivering my warning at a volume proportional to its significance. Secondly, familiarizing Connie and myself with the the statistics surrounding human frailty is only sensible."

Lapis rolled her eyes and strolled deeper into the spire. Moving to follow her, Jasper stepped forward, pausing long enough to give Connie a playful punch on the shoulder.

Connie watched them pass before turning back around and coming face-to-visor with the stern look and crossed limb enhancers of Peridot. The girl's confident smile grew hesitant under her guardian's glare. Connie swallowed, nervousness fluttering in her stomach.

After a brief silence, Peridot's expression softened and she loosed her floating fingers to tidy the mess Lapis had made ruffling Connie's hair. "Don't scare me like that, dear. I'm certain, given time, we could have conceived of a safer way across with the resources at our disposal."

Noting Connie's expression of regret, Peridot recalled her fingers and gripped the girl's shoulder. "Admonishments aside, that was exemplary work in determining the angle, force, and design for your plan to cross. I have come to expect nothing less from my finest pupil," she said with a smile, walking past to catch up with the others.

She didn't need to look back to know Connie's face was beaming with enthusiasm once more.

By the time Connie caught up with the others, Peridot and Jasper had slowed to a stop while Lapis examined the dilapidated surroundings. "This pillar... Oh, this had a head... How could this place get so damaged so quickly?" she wondered aloud, running a hand along the neck of a decapitated statue. Brushing a little dust aside with her fingers, Lapis turned to Connie and said, "Once the Moon Goddess Statue fixes everything up, Connie, you'll really get to see what it was like when I first saw it," hope building in her voice as she gestured grandly around the hall they'd been walking down.

"It'll just be another spire. Useless without anyone to think in it," stated Jasper, stretching her arms overhead and looking around. "I don't see the appeal."

Lapis stuck her tongue out at Jasper. "Of course _you_ don't. But there's no need to spoil it for the rest of us. Buildings like these on a colony world? They were an oasis for gems, a place where they could be at ease even this far from Homeworld. Music, discourse, culture, art, all under one roof," Lapis said, her enthusiasm building despite Jasper's bluntness.

"Wow, that must have been amazing to see!" said Connie, excited. A moment later she walked over to examine a mural on the wall and casually asked, "Even with the war, I wonder why there aren't more buildings like this still around."

She didn't notice the gems freeze and look at one another, worry on two of the three faces. "Hey, uh, look over there," Peridot said suddenly, segueing with all the grace of an avalanche. 

Luckily, the next room proved distracting: a sizeable part of the outer wall and half of the floor had fallen away into the vortex, allowing a river to flow swiftly through the room and into the churning waters below. It's source was an ornate opening set into the ceiling.

Connie's expression was awed: even setting aside the impossible view through the ruined section of wall, an indoor waterfall was pretty cool.

Lapis walked over and stood beside the girl, her expression a mix of melancholy and pride. "This room is a mess but it looks like some of the spire's functions are still running. That waterfall would normally be a few floors up but it looks like it was redirected down here." She crouched down beside the river, letting the water flow between her fingers. Then, looking over her shoulder she said, "It's pretty, don't you think, Connie?"

"Really pretty. But it's flowing fast and there's no bridge. I think we'll need to figure out a way to cross," said the girl, brow furrowing in thought.

"Surely the optimal course would be- hey?!" exclaimed Peridot, interrupted by an orange elbow to the side.

Jasper shook her head and then nodded toward Connie. "Let the squirt think about it."

Connie, meanwhile, was digging through her back once more, voicing her thoughts aloud. "If we go back and gather up my rope, we should be able to use some of the other things I've packed to create a pulley system to cross. Hmm, we can anchor it to those pillars on either side. Of course, we'll need someone to fasten the winch opposite the river, but Lapis can just fly over and..."

Connie trailed off mid-sentence, her mind catching up with her thoughts, and rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment. "Uh, Lapis? Do you think you could maybe fly us over? Or divert the water for a little bit?"

Lapis chuckled and ruffled Connie's hair, her mirth easing the girl's discomfort. "Of course. You just gotta ask," she said before flicking her wrist and forcing a stretch of the river to flow up in a broad arch, forming a tunnel beneath which was safe (and dry) to walk through.

Connie never got tired of watching Lapis' casual disregard for physical laws (at least as they applied to water), and this time was no different. A quiet 'oooh' escaped without her being aware of it.

The group walked under the aquatic archway, reaching the far side of the room before Lapis relinquished her control and dropped the water. There was a splash and spray of moisture but a moment later and the river was resuming its former course.

Connie took off her glasses and gently cleaned them with the hem of her shirt before turning to Lapis with a smile. "Thank you, Lapis. Sorry for the trouble."

Lapis waved Connie off, giving an easy grin. "Pfft, it was super easy. You've got nothing to worry about asking me anything, girlie. I've got your back."

The whole group began to ascend the stairs that spiraled higher up into the spire until a large hand gently gripped Connie's shoulder. Letting Lapis and Peridot disappear around the bend of the stairwell, Connie turned to look at Jasper expectantly, trying to stand a little taller under the warrior's alert gaze.

"What did you learn back there?" asked the Orange gem.

Connie looked back over the room they had crossed and then pulled a face. "That I had the obvious solution standing next to me, literally, but I didn't realize that until I was halfway through a needlessly complicated alternative."

Jasper gave a small tilt of her head that Connie had come to recognize as her reticent way of saying, 'sorta.' "You tried to come up with a solution you could do yourself. Like swinging into the spire on that rope of yours," and Connie thought she caught the gleam of amusement in the warrior's eyes.

Picking up where Jasper had led her, Connie said, "But what I should have been doing was looking for the best answer available, not just the one I could do personally."

The Quartz gave a minute nod. "Which you did. A soldier can afford to see only what's in front of them, but a leader needs to look at the bigger picture. You made effective use of the resources under your command. Good job, squirt." Jasper gave Connie a gentle squeeze of approval.

Connie swelled with pride as the two turned to catch up with the others.

* * *

The four of them stood at the edge of a large, open, circularly-walled room that was in a sorry state of repair. All over the floor small glass-like creatures scuttled slowly around.

"Careful Connie," said Peridot. "Those are crystal shrimp: vermin that commonly find their way into derelict structures like this one. The shards that line their carapace are quite dangerous when physical contact is made." Connie stepped back, looking curiously at the seemingly-harmless-but-apparently-deadly gem creatures while Peridot continued speaking. "To mitigate the risk of injurious proximity, I suggest we avoid them entirely. Lapis, fly the others over," she said, one set of floating fingers already fanning out into their helicopter formation.

Lapis cocked her head to the side and tapped her chin. It was as though she was considering Peridot's request, but the impish grin gave away the charade. "Hmm. Hmmmm. How about instead, I _not_ do that and Connie gets another chance to show us how awesome she is? Whaddya say, Connie? Got more neat ideas?"

Peridot rolled her eyes and her floating fingers returned to their default positions.

Connie, meanwhile, rubbed the back of her neck, a little bashful at both the vote of confidence and being put on the spot. "Well, I did bring a lot of stuff from the Beach House, but," her tone shifted as she recited an oft-repeated phrase from her tutoring, "a good decision requires good information. Peridot, is there anything more about these crystal shrimp you can tell me?"

Peridot smiled at that, pleased to hear her own wisdom echoed by her pupil and pleased for the opportunity to share her incomparable knowledge. "The crystal shrimp uses the same dangerously sharp material of its carapace in the mechanisms of its locomotion. This means it can adhere to nearly any surface, vertical or horizontal, and has been known to abrade even the strongest of substances in its passage. This is why they were routinely exterminated at a distance via high-intensity lasers."

"They're part of the reason this place is such a dump," added Jasper, pointedly ignoring the raspberry Lapis blew in response.

Struck by an idea, Connie set her backpack on the floor and began to hunt through it. "I, uh, doubt it counts as 'high-intensity' but I did pack one of the laser pointers used in class. Ah, here it is!"

Connie withdrew a small cylindrical device with a warning printed on the side about keeping it away from people's eyes. She aimed at the ground near a crystal shrimp and pressed the button: a small red dot appeared in front of the little creature. Everyone, gem and shrimp alike, was silent for a moment before the magical pest let out a squeak of distress and quickly fled, crawling up the wall when it ran out of floor.

Connie raised an eyebrow, experimentally moving the dot closer to another shrimp and getting a repeat performance. "Huh. I guess they're... the _opposite_ of cats?" she remarked, casually using the dot to clear a path across the room.

"I never realized they'd developed an instinctual fear of spatially-coherent light," Peridot said, rubbing her chin with a floating finger as she watched Connie play cattle drive with the shrimp.

"Hey, hey Connie, try making them go in circles!" enthused Lapis, stepping forward to be next to the girl. Connie nodded with a mischievous smile, placing the red dot in front of the pest and sending it scurrying in a wide circuit away from the pursuing light.

Jasper and Peridot watched with deadpan expressions until the latter grew impatient. "Enough tomfoolery. No matter how amusing their fear response is, we don't have all night to play with these pests."

"R-right, sorry, ma'am." Connie looked chastened and was quick to comply, pocketing the laser pointer and shouldering her pack once more. Lapis looked unrepentant but said nothing.

Connie and the gems had started to cross the room when Connie paused, looking around confused. "Hey guys, does it look like there are fewer shrimp now than before?"

"Maybe they climbed out through a hole over there," Lapis answered with a shrug, gesturing to one of the many openings in the exterior wall.

Suddenly, a loud series of cracks was heard from above, drawing everyone's attention upward. Covering the domed ceiling were what had been the majority of the crystal shrimp, the creatures seeking safety out of sight. The agitated movement of so many had weakened a portion of the already unstable structure. 

With a final, loud crack a portion of the ceiling (along with a great number of shrimp) plummeted down toward the Crystal Gems below. Before anyone else could react, large orange arms wrapped around the group and unceremoniously threw them across and out the room. 

Just before landing in a heap of bewildered gems, Connie saw a shrimp-laden debris pile drop onto the warrior. Hurriedly wriggling free of Lapis and Peridot, Connie watched as Jasper punched out of the rubble and tore at the offending shrimp, the creatures' contact causing lacerations wherever they touched the large Quartz.

"Jasper!" cried out Lapis once she’d gotten upright, her voice laced with worry. The Blue gem looked like she was about to wade in to help when falling debris and shrimp made her think better.

By this point Jasper was thrashing at the swarm clinging to her, crushing and tearing at them in pain and anger. Thoroughly agitated and frightened as well, the vermin exasperated the damage trying to find safety somewhere on the enraged Quartz, driving Jasper to her knees in the process.

Connie turned to Peridot, frantic with worry. "Can't you, I don't know, shoot them off her or something?!" Connie pleaded.

"Not with an unacceptable risk of hitting Jasper instead. They're too small; I'd do more harm than good. I'm sorry," Peridot replied resigned but worried. Unable to do more, she gave Connie's hand a squeeze as they watched Jasper from a safe distance away.

A minute later and the melee had played itself out, countless cuts and tears criss-crossing Jasper's frame as numerous pulverized carapaces littered the ground. With a pained grunt, Jasper heaved herself to her feet and stood once more. Limping out of the room, she deliberately crushed one last fleeing shrimp underfoot.

Noticing the group, Jasper drew herself up and tried somewhat unconvincingly to assume her default, stoic expression. "Next time I recommend we use those high-intensity lasers," she joked dryly. She limped forward a few paces past the trio, saying without looking back, "Let's get going. We're almost to the top and we probably don't have that much time left."

Connie walked up alongside the weakened gem, worry written across her face. "A-are you okay, Jasper?" she squeaked out, preparing to steady the immense gem if needed despite the height and weight difference between them. Lapis wasn't too far behind, not saying anything but doing a poor job of hiding her obvious concern.

The warrior chuckled ruefully, looking to Connie with her usual confident expression. "I've been through much worse. Though Lapis seems to have forgotten that bit," she said, a small smirk on her face as she glanced over at the Blue gem. "So you do care after all," Jasper added teasingly.

Lapis, her cheeks blushing an ever dark shade of blue, snapped back, "Of course I care, you orange brick! Maybe don't put yourself through a blender next time you're in doubt."

When she shouldered past Jasper their eyes met briefly. Both seemed caught off guard by Lapis' words, but the moment ended quickly and Lapis pushed forward once more, moving quickly up the next set of stairs.

Peridot, largely ignored as she tailed Jasper and Connie, rolled her eyes. Turning back to a holographic display, she resumed her scan of the cuts and discolorations that covered her companion. A moment later her limb enhancer dinged and she looked satisfied with the results.

Connie spared one last glance at Jasper and then at Lapis' distant form. Then she turned to Peridot for answers. The technician gave a world-weary shrug and motioned Connie aside, allowing Jasper and Lapis to ascend on their own. 

Looking back up at Jasper, Peridot said, "Don't worry about them, dear. Things are seldom simple between those two but Jasper's injuries are quite simple: her hard light body is already in the process of recovering and she should be in top form before too much longer." She then turned to face Connie directly. "Instead, I want you to worry about yourself. As you can see, these mission can at times be quite dangerous and nothing is worth more than your well-being; certainly not some Era-1 derelict, regardless of Lapis' fondness for it. Now, remember Connie: if you run into any trouble out there, you can always retreat. There is never any shame in acting on one’s discretion."

By force of habit, Connie muscled her true feelings aside and adopted a serious expression. "Understood, ma'am. I'll try and remember that in the future." Satisfied, Peridot turned and the two went up the stairs together, the moonlit sky visible at the top.

 _I just hope everyone feels better after the spire is restored,_ thought the girl.

* * *

The moon was nearing its apex when the team finally reached the top-most level. For a moment no one moved, taking in the singular view as moonlight played across the water that completely surrounded the magic-fueled valley.

With everyone's gaze directed elsewhere, Jasper allowed her shoulders to droop, a pained look crossing her face.

"Whoa. It's so..." Connie began.

"Beautiful," finished Lapis as she stood next to the girl, taking in the same vista. "This was the first thing I saw when I arrived on Earth. I was standing here, looking over endless, calm blue."

Connie glanced over and saw Lapis' face in an expression she'd seldom seen on her blue guardian: Lapis was completely at peace.

"I'd never seen so much before. I mean, I’ve seen lakes, even oceans... but Earth? It has so much; more than every other planet and moon I'd visited. Combined." Lapis sighed, closing her eyes as if trying to capture a distant thought or old memory. "This... this is one of the things I fought for."

Connie watched Lapis' rapt expression for a moment longer, a sense of righteous purpose filling her. This was like something out of her book, an adventure where she got to be counted among the heroes. Slipping off her backpack, she quickly pulled out the statue and examined it, noting how it somehow felt heavier than before.

 _Heavy... with destiny,_ she silently declared.

Her gaze turned from the statue to the pedestal at the center of the spire's roof, eyes scanning the area for further obstacles or challenges. Finding none, she began to walk toward the center, the gems content to watch their protégé with pride. She had done her best to get here and despite some hiccups, she had succeeded and knew she was ready. She would place the statue where it belonged, save the spire from collapsing, and prove herself to the Crystal Gems.

So determined was Connie to complete her mission, so focused was she to win the day that she almost didn’t hear the floor buckle and crack underfoot. Almost.

All four of them started in surprise at the sound. Connie watched, first confused and then horrified, as small cracks in the stone floor became deep fissures. The top of the spire began pulling itself apart, a large chunk breaking free and plummeting into the churning waters.

The entire tower began to shake, cracks widened, and Connie could hear the sound of rubble crashing into the swirling sea below. Her confidence shattering alongside the spire itself, Connie's feet refused to budge from the stone even as her eyes snapped back to the pedestal. 

_It would be simple,_ a part of her thought. _Just a quick run and a few hops; it wouldn't even take a second. I'd stop the collapse, save the spire, and then everyone could go home to celebrate._ The only rebuttal was the terror that had frozen her in place halfway between the pedestal and the gems.

Another chunk broke off, the shaking began to worsen, and the sheer walls of water surrounding the spire began to deform as the ocean’s weight pushed in against the weakening barrier.

Lapis took a panicked glance at the onrushing water, then the crumbling tower. Her wings briefly formed out from the gem at her back but their water fell uselessly to the ground, the vortex growing more erratic and denying her flight. She started to take a step towards the paralyzed girl when a nearby rift widened. It was all Lapis could do to avoid falling through.

"Connie! Back away from there, it's too dangerous!" Peridot screamed out, her voice and expression riddled with maternal fear as she struggled to maintain her balance.

Lapis shot an angry glare at the Green gem, then turned to Connie. "No! Put the statue in its place! You can still save everything!" Lapis yelled, as though trying to propel Connie forward through sheer, voiced desperation. "Connie! Connie, you can do this! PLEASE!" Lapis begged, her body shaking as though in sympathy with the spire crumbling beneath her.

"It’s not worth it, Lapis! It’s just a structure! You need to retreat, Connie!" shouted Peridot, inwardly cursing the spire, the universe, even causality itself for preventing her from snatching her precious little ward up and away from all this.

Jasper crouched a little ways away from Lapis and Peridot both, staying low so she wouldn’t fall. She knew she wouldn’t make it if she tried to get to Connie, clumsy as she was from her injuries, and she hated herself for the momentary weakness. Doing the one thing should could, Jasper barked an order. "Connie! Move!"

Connie was at the center of her own vortex, fear warring with her own ideals, her sense of obedience torn between discordant voices. Jasper’s order cut through it all and forced Connie back to reality. In a snap decision, Connie immediately turned and fled towards Peridot, the statue dropped in the process.

The moment Connie was within range, Peridot engulfed her in green light, using the tractor beam function of her limb enhancer to reel in her ward. Dismissing the beam, she pulled the girl in close, a wave of relief surging through every cubic inch of her form.

Lapis watched in horror as the key to the spire’s salvation dropped through a fissure, tumbling down to the very base of the tower and beyond their reach. "No!" she cried out. Denial quickly gave way to rage, which soon stretched out like the ocean itself until Lapis felt only a vast sea of anger, as powerful as it was deep.

She extended her arms, felt her hair rising, and the roar of the sea grew bolder, compelled by a master more powerful than mere gravity. The water began to rush back out of the bowl that it had just been filling, and the vortex was quieted by Lapis’ will.

"Get! The! Statue!" Lapis commanded through clenched teeth, her face a picture of barely-contained wrath.

"What are you talking about? We have to escape the collapse of the tower!” shouted Peridot, holding Connie tight, the latter daring to raise her head and look at the altered landscape for the first time.

“Go! Get! IT!” Lapis screeched, her shoulders shaking slightly, though from her emotions or her footing was unclear. "Get it! I can hold it back, you know I’m capable, so go!" Her hair whipped around her face as she alternately demanded and pleaded with the others.

"Lapis, enough! It’s done. You need to restrain yourself. You know what happens if you go too far. Remember?!" Jasper yelled back, her face holding a carefully neutral expression.

"No! Don’t you dare tell me to restrain myself!" she screamed as she turned on Jasper. "I don't have to listen to you; you never could stop me if I didn't let you," venomous words pouring from the enraged gem. "She... She isn't here anymore to step in and fix what you messed up!" Lapis said, sadness creeping into her voice, her hands grasping the back of her head, eyes shut, as she slowly fell to her knees. Lapis knelt there, silent, then curled up on herself.

"Lapis! We-" Peridot began before being cut off by an incoherent scream of rage and frustration. She instinctively clutched Connie closer, knowing how scared the girl must be. Lapis, meanwhile, rose to her feet once more, arms raised in front of her, palms out as if holding up an immense wall, her eyes snapping open to reveal pure whiteness.

"NO! You don’t get a say in this! You act as though you’re a Kindergartener who injected that gem into Connie and, if you manage the conditions just right, Citrine will emerge! But you can’t! Connie is not Citrine and she never will be! You’re an Era-2 pebble unable to keep up with the rest of us and I will not let you drag Connie back with you!” she ranted, Connie hearing the grinding of Peridot’s teeth while being sheltered in her arms.

"And Connie, why? Are you so w-" 

Lapis froze mid-word. Somehow, despite the shouting and the roar of water and the rumble of crumbling walls, the sound of a child sobbing seemed clearest of all, tears running down the girl’s cheeks.

"Oh no... No, not again... I didn't mean, I wasn't going to..." gasped Lapis, her arms suddenly weak, the air suddenly thick, her eyes no longer panes of white. Connie’s sobs echoed in Lapis’ ears even after she clapped her hands over them. She felt dizzy. She couldn’t do this. She couldn’t be here!

With a leap, a blur of wings, and a thunderclap... Lapis was gone, a blue dot retreating rapidly over the horizon.

With the vortex inactive and no hydrokinesis to hold it back, the water quickly rushed in, sprays of water blasting up the sides of the spire which swayed drunkenly under the onslaught.

"My stars! Hang on tight, Connie!" shouted Peridot as she tightened her hold on the girl, raised one of her limb enhancers overhead, and deployed her helicopter fingers. The two of them lifted off, albeit slow and clumsily, hovering a dozen or more feet above what was rapidly becoming the new waterline.

A geyser of bubbles and spray heralded some final collapse within the spire below as flotsam erupted to the surface. Of particular note was a large, decorative wall panel covered in a repeating wolf motif that had certainly seen better centuries. Peridot touched down still holding Connie, slipped on the slick surface, overturned their ad-hoc raft, and sent them both spilling into the drink. They quickly emerged, clutching the side, soaked.

Connie sputtered, raised a damp curtain of hair out of her face, then looked around hurriedly. "Jasper?! Lapis?!"

As if in answer, an unnatural wave crested, depositing a giant, waterlogged Quartz onto the vessel. That the wave sluiced across the raft and splashed Peridot directly in the face was pure coincidence. Probably.

"Jasper!" exclaimed the girl.

Connie clambered onto the boat and gave the Orange gem a fierce hug. "Whoa there, kiddo. You don’t want to poof me, do you?" Connie laughed, and may have cried with relief: she was too wet to tell and too grateful to care.

She stayed that way for a while, the fear and confusion of what had just happened was pushed to the corners of her mind to make room for the feel of Jasper’s warm, sure embrace.

Another splash, another faceful of water for Peridot, and Connie felt something lumpy bump gently into her with a wet 'squish'. "Oh, my backpack. Uh, thank you!" Connie called out loudly but uncertainly, not knowing which direction to direct her voice.

Peridot heaved herself fully onto the flotsam, water running off her hair in rivulets as it rapidly reacquired it’s default, swept-up-and-tripartite shape. Jasper reached out and pulled her into the hug with Connie. Whatever invectives Peridot was muttering were muted by the Quartz' thick, damp hair. After a moment the angry noise stopped and the three simply held one another.

"Do you think Lapis will be okay?" Connie eventual said, breaking the silence.

Peridot patted her shoulder. "Don’t worry about her. She’ll be fine, I’m sure. And... you did well, Connie. I’m proud of you. We both are."

Jasper, who had taken to leaning over one side and was wringing gallons of water out of her voluminous hair, nodded in agreement. A moment later she looked at Connie, who was rummaging through her waterlogged bag. "You didn’t happen to pack a proper raft in that backpack of yours, did you?"

Connie shook her head. “No... it seemed kinda silly with, ya know, Lapis around."

Peridot turned to one of her displays and tapped a few icons. "It will be a three hour paddle home. You take this," she said, fishing an oar-like piece of flotsam out of the water and handing it to Jasper, "Connie, you sit in the middle where it’s most stable, and I will assist from the vessel’s stern." At that, Peridot’s fingers reconfigured into a modified helicopter formation and began spinning in the water like an outboard motor.

As the vessel lurched forward gracelessly, the trio bouncing with the motion, Connie shouldered her sodden backpack and wrapped her arms around her body. "I, uh, I might need an extension on that report you assigned me, ma'am" she called out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You've reached the end of _...Yet So Far_ but there's plenty more Connie Swap to enjoy! Up next is **Episode 3: Force Field Friends**
> 
> _It’s a little tense at home after the mission at the Lunar Sea Spire, so Connie decides to seek shelter at the Big Donut for an afternoon. However, Steven, a new resident of Beach City, is at the donut shop as well and the two have a very eventful day together._
> 
> * * *
> 
> I'd like to give a big shout out to our new member of the team, br42, for helping with the editing and also being a massive asset to our story's development. We're looking forward to working with them, and hope everyone can enjoy their work as much as we have.
> 
> If you have a Connie Swap story burning in your soul that you want to see in our official, curated Omake collection, drop us a comment either in the Omake fic or here in the main fic and we'll get in touch.
> 
> We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments and your asks at the [Connie Swap Tumblr](http://connieswap.tumblr.com/). Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Another shout out to Mjstudioarts (http://mjstudioarts.tumblr.com/) for her continued help with both the story and contributing her lovely art for this chapter.
> 
> Make sure you check out the Connieswap Tumblr to keep up to date with any news of the story, or to ask the crew or the characters any questions you want answered.


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